Surpass Yourself
by SecondGear
Summary: It's been 2 years since Ash Ketchum retired from Pokemon training. He instead chooses to pursue a perfectly normal, stable, and opportunistic career with the help of his past achievements. But when two former rivals pitch a deal that he can't refuse, Ash will take up the art of battling once more. He will learn that in order to attain your dreams, you must surpass yourself!
1. A Deal for a Deal

Chapter 1: A Deal for a Deal

* * *

"Paul? And…Gary? What are you guys doing here?"

Standing before Ash Ketchum were two of his biggest rival competitors in the battling industry. It had been roughly eight months since he had heard from or seen either of them, though this was not especially surprising due to the nature of their work.

Gary's intelligence and persistence blossomed favorably into greater research opportunities that took him around the world. His "expertise" was highly sought after and his publicized findings have granted him a near-celebrity status in the scientific community. After all, not just anyone could stumble upon ground-breaking information related to Pokémon evolution. With the recent developments of mega-evolution in the battle circuit, Gary was expected to continue to surpass expectation and illuminate the hidden mysteries of the Pokémon world.

Paul had one thing and one thing only that he was concerned with: Battling and being the best at it. He had taken a minor break to reevaluate his battling style after suffering his most important defeat at the hands of the man he now stood in front of. As much as he had initially hated it, he did have a grudging respect for Ash and as such decided that his team deserved his respect as well. After all, he wasn't the one taking all the hits, was he? He trained and he trained harder than he had ever trained before. Not just his team either, but his body and mind. He studied relaxation and focus techniques to hone his battling skills; he passed on the knowledge that he had gain to his team and meticulously focused on how to bring out the best performance of each teammate.

As a result, his battling had garnered monstrous results along with the attention of higher-class trainers. Paul's first victory came at the total conquering of the Kanto Battle Frontier. Naturally, there were struggles along the way. Paul learned from these experiences and went to challenge the Kanto League. What was truly surprising was that he gathered the required eight gym badges in a record time of one month and won the Kanto League Conference while only having one of his Pokémon ever defeated. It was considered an incredible accomplishment and many were expecting great things from Paul, some going so far as to declare him a future Pokémon champion. However, he has temporarily resigned from battling circuits to focus on training once more these past six months.

Ash was well aware of these two's recent performances in the world that he once travelled. The key word being "once".

For the past two years, Ash Ketchum had no longer involved himself in Pokémon battling or training. As such, he didn't really have a reason to travel anymore and instead settled home with his mother. From Pallet Town, he would occasionally visit Viridian City and Pewter City in order to pick up miscellaneous packages that would be ordered by his mom or Professor Oak. His mother had picked up a job as a waitress for a local restaurant that opened up in Pallet Town, so he spent most of his day with Professor Oak while assisting him whenever Oak needed it. Ash enjoyed being with the professor since it allowed him to spend time with all of the Pokémon he had acquired throughout his journey. Not only that, but Ash would also be exposed to important information that Oak would often discuss with other professors or people of importance. It was Ash's main way of staying up to date with the rest of the world since Ash soon realized that the news was largely inconsistent and unreliable. In relation to news…

Without a letter or call to inform him otherwise, he was quite unprepared to see his two former rivals standing in front of the door to his and his mom's house. He was happy enough to see them, as with all of his friends, but was also curious. Why were they here?

Paul wore his trademark stoic expression with a seemingly permanent semi-frown. He glanced around at the inner workings of the house behind Ash before his eyes rested firmly on Ash and said, "So are you going to let us in or not?"

"Yeah Ash. It's kind of rude to just let us stand out here. Didn't your mom teach you any manners?" Gary added teasingly, a half-hearted smirk creeping on his face.

Ash snorted in response and stood inside to let the two in. "Of course, my esteemed guests. I certainly missed you two's humbling presences," he replied with no small degree of exaggeration.

After letting the two come inside, he directed them to sit on the couch. Ash asked if either of them wanted something to drink and while Gary was a good human being and politely declined, Paul grunted, shook his head, and looked at Ash as if he was an idiot for merely asking.

" _Good ol' Paul. Glad to see that he stuck with his winning personality."_

Ash took a seat in a chair and pulled himself to Gary and Paul. After a quick stretch of the arms and neck, he looked at his guests with a slight smile. Ash wasn't quite sure what was supposed to happen next. He's managed guests before, true, but the vibes that he was getting from these two were… _odd_ , to say the least. Although he didn't want to admit it, he had a feeling he knew what their visit was about. At least on Paul's end for that matter. Ash still hadn't worked out a reason for why Gary was here.

Ash glanced at Paul. It looked like he was stewing in a pot of boiling water with how sour his expression was growing. Paul appeared to be losing whatever patience he had for being here and Gary seemed to have picked up on that. The young researcher shot Paul a look that seemed to relay a message of "don't you dare" to impatient one. Paul took a deep breath and diffused himself, training his eyes back on Ash with his usual expression.

"Okay, so what is going on here? What do you two want?" Ash was quick to say after seeing that display. It wasn't the most host-ly thing that could have been said, but it hesitation was something that Ash had no desire to entertain. "Is there something wrong?"

Paul opened his mouth to speak before Gary interjected, "Nothing is wrong _per say_ , it's just that…well…" he trailed off, unsure of what to say. Personally difficult conversations were not his forte and he had long ditched the cocky attitude that would have made this easier to handle. "Paul and I have been in contact for a while now. My interests and his interests seemed to have aligned somewhere down the road these past few months. It's thanks to him that my research has been going as well as-"

"Gary, you are getting off the subject of why we are here. I'm not stalling any longer. This is ridiculous," Paul finally said, silencing his supposed partner with a look of frustration. He then turned back to Ash. "You. Why are you not training? Why are you not battling?"

Ash stared back at Paul with an equal intensity before letting out a sigh. The former trainer scratched the back of his head and let out another small sigh. "Is that all? I thought I already told everyone why I stopped…doing everything I used to," Ash said with a slight shrug. He rubbed his chin, looked at the ceiling, and then looked back at Paul with a sad smile. "I realized that it just wasn't for me in the end."

"Bullshit and you know it," Paul retorted almost instantly. "I could maybe understand that coming from someone else. But not _you_. You, who essentially have mastered the art of persistence. You don't give up on anything."

"I gave up on training. Isn't that all there is to it?" Ash simply responded as he started to get up. "Looks like you were wrong about that whole 'not giving up on anything', huh?" Ash continued, stretching his legs in order to avoid eye contact with Paul. "Technically, I didn't give up. I just moved on."

"Sure looks like giving up to me. The Ash I knew of-"

"The Ash you knew of decided to grow up a bit and face the facts," Ash interrupted. He jumped to his feet from a particular stretching position and stared down Paul. "Not everyone can be an amazing battler with the talent and team to become the best. I recognize my past accomplishments and am proud of them, don't get me wrong. But I was never going to be a Pokémon Master. I was never going to be champion. I was going to be someone who was _almost_ good enough!" Ash suddenly realized he was raising his voice and toned himself down, weariness seeping into his voice as he said, "I was _always_ someone who was almost good enough. My loss in the Kalos League taught me that."

Paul's expression, initially hardened by fury, softened a near indiscernible degree. While he didn't have much of it, he had learned compassion over the years. Still, he turned away with a curt _tch_ and resigned himself to his thoughts. Clearly, he needed to think about what was just said and how to approach Ash's situation.

Gary, who was silent for the most part, decided that this was a good time to speak. He didn't want to give the impression of good cop/bad cop, but this situation that Ash got himself in needed to be addressed. He had heard from his grandfather that Ash was becoming increasingly quiet and reclusive, which was a stark contrast to his happy-go-lucky and social personality.

"Ash, I think it's long overdue for you to suck it up."

Wow, not the words that Gary meant for Ash. Gary had meant to carefully bring Ash back from this defeatist attitude and get him interested in what he knew Ash loved to do. Like a parental figure, perhaps. Gary did think himself in a place of mental maturity to make that claim. But instead, the rival in him seemed to have reared its ugly head at a really bad time.

"Huh?" was all that Ash said, too surprised by Gary's words to think of anything else. "You think…what?"

"I think what Gary said was what literally everybody else has been thinking. And I do mean _everybody_ ," Paul said. "You are currently quite pathetic, Ash. And while I understand that taking multiple losses are tough, I know for a fact that you have a thick enough skin to deal with it. I heard all about your journey as a trainer from Gary." He paused to let his words sink into Ash. "I'm going to be honest. I don't think that either of us can convince you to get back into battling. Or so, at least with words. Especially after two years of being off the grid."

"However," Gary picked up on, finally seeing that this conversation was on track with what they had previously discussed, "We have a deal for you, Ashy-boy! And it's one that I'm sure you will be very interested in."

Ash rolled his eyes. What could they possibly offer that would be worth the struggle of getting back into battling. He was just about to get into the Pokémon Commentary industry since he knew about battling and his previous accomplishments would help with him getting into such a competitive business. It was a good plan with good money and good opportunities down the road. To give that up at this point in his life would be to commit to battling. Being seventeen years old meant that it was time for him to consider his future and he couldn't be jobless forever.

"I don't think that I'll be interested in anything that involves battl-"

"Gary and I can set up a meeting with your father," Paul interrupted rather rudely. He hated the idea of bribing people with stuff like this, but he surprisingly cared enough about Ash to do it. In a roundabout sort of way.

"A meeting with my WHAT?" Ash stumbled backwards in shock and fell right onto the chair behind him. "Are you serious?" Ash said in a hushed tone. He stopped himself and then launched himself into a tirade of questions. "Where is he? What is he doing? How come he isn't here? Does he know where we are?"

"Ash, listen." Gary held up a hand to silence the understandably curious teenager. "We can't answer any of those questions. Mainly because we don't know." Seeing Ash quickly deflate and possibly never recover, he quickly added, "That's not to say that you can't meet him though. We worked out a deal with someone who knows where your father is. If you decide take up both of our conditions, we can guarantee that you'll meet your dad."

While Ash was excited at the idea of meeting his dad after all this time, for more than one reason, he couldn't help but also be skeptical. Some random person who knows who is dad is managed to conveniently get into contact with Gary and Paul for some fishy deal that just happens to benefit Ash? Those are the sort of conveniences that people will use as an example for how to spot a scam.

"Ash, I know what you are thinking and I can say that Gary is right," Paul scoffed, getting Ash's attention in the process. "I would put my honor as a trainer on it. You will just need to have faith in us that we can hold up our end of the deal. Got it?"

"I know how this may seem Ash, but can you trust us?" Gary asked hopefully. "I'd stake my reputation as a researcher on it."

Ash didn't quite know what to say. Again. He found himself in a position that he would have never guessed just earlier this morning. This has been a strange afternoon and he almost wished that his mom was here to help him deal with it. Almost, yet he wanted to make this choice for himself and maybe for his mom too. She deserved to see her…significant other after all of this time of not knowing where he was. Granted, all he had to base this decision was the words of two former rivals who he hadn't heard from in months. It wasn't the sturdiest of foundations for such a decision, but Ash knew deep down what his answer was going to be. He didn't know if he hated or liked himself for it. But first, Ash had a few burning questions that he _knew_ they could answer.

"Why do you guys care so much? My life doesn't affect either of you in the slightest." Ash looked at Paul warily. "Especially you."

Paul returned Ash's look and said, "Honestly, you are right. As it stands, I have no real gain for helping you out of your pitiful state." Ash was going to say something before Paul continued, "However, I do have you to thank for my recent accomplishments. Without me experiencing losing to you in Sinnoh, I probably would have plateaued in my training and battling skills. I didn't have the proper mindset of a great trainer and you showed me that in our final match. I too took a break, but instead it was to adopt the core of your trust and respect of Pokémon into my own. Only then did I set out to accomplish my goals. Consider this a sort of repayment on my part. I will help you and your team back into shape and for no cost either." Paul stopped to give Ash a rare smirk. "People would pay for my teachings, you know."

Ash frowned at the last quip from Paul, but accepted his answer. It made sense considering Paul's personality. He was prepared to call out Paul if Paul had said it was about being a good friend or having a soul. Gary gave a fake cough to break up the tension.

"Anyways, I cannot say that my reasons are purely humanitarian either," Gary started with. He knew that Ash was looking for practical reasons and honesty, which he was going to give him. "My research on evolution has taken a turn for the most interesting. Paul has managed to acquire a Pokémon that can mega-evolve along with the equipment necessary to use it. However, he cannot seem to get it to mega-evolve no matter what we try and it is halting my research. I am hoping that you will be able to help him mega-evolve his Pokémon. In addition, I wish to study your Greninja and the 'Ash-Greninja' form, which would be most efficiently done in battle," Gary wrapped up as he remembered to add on the study of Ash's Greninja at the end. "I do care about you Ash. I figure this deal would work out for all of us."

"A deal for a deal."

Ash nodded, accepting Gary's answer as well. He would be happy to help Gary with his research, though allowing Gary to study the Ash-Greninja form would definitely require him to get back into serious battling. It's not a form that can just be summoned for the sake of test tubes. He certainly didn't understand that much about it himself. He could only experience it. Clemont probably knows more and Ash is surprised Gary didn't just go to him. They both like science, so they would get along, right?

"I'll…think about it guys. Just give me a day or two to mull it over, alright?" Ash responded carefully. He pretty much already knew his answer, but he wanted to run it by a few people first and get their opinion. He was no longer so focused on being rash.

"You aren't saying that just to get us to go away, are you?" Paul brought up, making sure that he wasn't wasting his time with is.

Ash shook his head. "No, I wouldn't do that. I would just tell you upfront if I didn't want to do it."

That seemed to satisfy Paul and he stood up. "Then I think we are done here. No offense, but I'm not interested in pleasantries."

Gary just stood up and extended his hand towards Ash. "I'm not so barbaric with manners, but I must be off. I do have some other reports to work on." He shook hands with Ash, who took his hand firmly. "You have both of our numbers. Just call us and let us know what you decide."

The two guests made their way to the door and left while shutting the door. Ash waited a couple of minutes before barreling past the door and shouting, "Paul, you are still a jerk!"

Even at a distance, Ash could feel Paul's glare reaching into his soul.

* * *

 **:The Next Day:**

"So what do you think, Pikachu?"

Pikachu's response was to run over to the dresser, take Ash's hat, run back to Ash, run up Ash's back, place the hat on top of Ash's spiky unkempt hair, and climb on Ash's shoulder where he used to ride in the past. Pikachu then gave a bright, confident grin and said, "Pika!"

Ash couldn't help but grin in response. Pikachu's energy was infectious and the small electric mouse not only seemed okay with it but actively excited to do it. When Ash had stopped training altogether, the news shocked Pikachu. After all, Pikachu had been through multiple slumps with Ash and Ash always seemed to bounce back in the end. Despite this, Pikachu respectively accepted Ash's decision and planned to support whatever he ended up doing all the way. From conversations with the rest of Ash's team at Professor Oak's lab, they all seemed to share similar sentiments with Pikachu. Some were more disappointed than others, like Sceptile for example, but they didn't hate Ash for it. Pikachu wasn't even sure that the others outside of the ranch even knew that Ash had stopped training, like Charizard and Squirtle. Pikachu would have immediately relayed the news to everybody, but Pikachu wanted to give that responsibility to Ash. More fun that way.

"Well, it's good to hear that I have the support of my best buddy!" Ash laughed joyfully and looked at his wall. This certain section was aligned with plaques of his previous adventures. He smiled and looked down the row of each one:

 _Indigo Plateau Conference: Top 16_

 _Silver Conference: Top 8_

 _Ever Grande Conference: Top 8_

 _Lily of the Valley Conference: Top 4_

 _Vertress Conference: Top 8_

There were two exceptions to these accomplishments: The Orange League and the Kanto Battle Frontier. Both are fairly unofficial when it comes to league regulations, but they both are difficult in their own right to accomplish. Ash had beaten the Orange League and the Kanto Battle Frontier and had awards for both located on a nearby desk. What had filled his heart with a bit of sad nostalgia these past two years had now excited Ash. He might be looking forward to battling again. Maybe he'll even compete in a tournament sometime in the future.

Now that Ash thought about it, the specifics of the deal weren't wholly clarified. He was asked to train and battle again, but nothing really else. How much training and battling would fulfill his end of the deal and allow him to meet his dad? And for that matter, what did this stranger that Gary and Paul deal with talk about? Why was he withholding information about his dad? What did he have to gain?

There were too many questions and not enough answers. Ash hated to be left in the dark, but it seems like Paul and Gary were almost just as lost as he was. Regardless, worrying about it now wouldn't be especially helpful to anyone. If it's truly important for him to know, he will know. Somehow, someway.

Right now, it was almost time for his mother to be back soon. He would have to tell her about what he was planning to do, yet he was hesitant to do so. Was he really going to tell her about his father? He wasn't sure if that was the best course of action. If on the horrible chance it was impossible to find his father after all, he wouldn't want to have her expectations raised only for them to be mercilessly shattered. She has endured a lot of pain over the course of many years. She just now finally seems to be throwing off the shackles of her past and living life again. She was always a good mother, but she always carried a sort of heavy sadness around her when she thought nobody was looking. Now, she's working as a waitress and having fun doing so if the bright smile she wears out the door is any indication.

Ash walked to the kitchen and nearly smacked himself at the sight of these dishes that needed to be cleaned. He had completely forgotten to do them thanks to the bomb that Gary and Paul had dropped on him before being on their merry way. Ah well…

" _No time like the present,"_ Ash mused with a small chuckle.

Pikachu generally hated doing the dishes, so the electric mouse was content to simply watch Ash struggle with the small mountain of dishes. This wouldn't have even been that big of a problem if Ash didn't eat so much in one sitting. So now, Ash was having a war with the dishes with his trusty soap and sponge as the only weapons in his arsenal. Along with a healthy dose of water, of course.

In only about a fifteen minutes, Ash managed to clear away the sink of all dirty dishes. He wiped his forehead of the sweat that somehow made its way up there.

"I guess I had some energy to spare there," he said to himself before looking around and groaning, "Why do I sometimes feel like I talk to myself too much?"

A swift unlocking sound rattled from the front door. The door slowly swung forward to reveal a still-sort-of-young-looking mother trying to balance groceries while talking on her phone. She didn't even notice that her son had left the kitchen and was staring at her struggles for a good moment. With a _pfft_ , Ash quickly took the groceries, freeing up his mother Delia Ketchum. She was very engrossed in her conversation.

" _Yes_ , I understand that you want me there this weekend but you have to…no, that's simply not true! I would never try to…now don't give me that! Yes I…yes I _know_ that Mr. Huckleson but-"

Delia abruptly stopped talking. Her eyes widened before she looked at her phone screened and puffed her cheeks in mock frustration.

"He hung up on me! Of all the rotten-"

She was caught off-guard and stopped talking when her only son ran up and nearly tackled her with a hug of pure affection. She almost giggled at the adorable site and returned the hug with all of the motherly affection she could muster. A short while later and they both released each other.

"Hi sweetie. How was your day?" she asked, ready to hear about how he did nothing but watch television all day. She wouldn't have been surprised, considering how reluctant he had been to leave the house as of late. She didn't want to bother him if he didn't want to talk about it. Not the best parenting, she knew, but she tried to talk to him when he was upset before and…and well _that_ didn't go over so well. Maybe all he needed was time.

"Actually pretty good for once. I even did the dishes and changed my underwear," Ash proudly proclaimed as Pikachu cheered along with him. He laughed and crouched to scratch Pikachu behind the ears.

"Wow, I am truly impressed. It's not every day that my Ashy remembers to do the dishes, let alone his undergarments too," Delia responded back with a small smile. She was not above sarcasm when it came to dealing with Ash. She had even noticed lately that he picked up her jabbing tone and sarcastic quips. He was always good at adapting.

"Thanks mom." He nearly stuck his tongue out at her when she wasn't looking. He stopped himself when it realized that it wasn't the most mature thing to do. "Anyways, I have news."

"Oh? What is it dear?" she said, half-listening as she busied herself with the groceries.

"I'm considering training again."

Delia didn't even flinch at the supposed "big news", but she did slow her movement a bit. A side-effect of running information through her head, perhaps. Better to not let Ash know just how surprised she really was.

"Really? Why is that? Why now? Weren't you going to become a commentator of Pokémon?"

Ash, a bit disappointed at the lack of surprise from his mother, went on to say, "Well, Gary and Paul came by yesterday and encouraged me to start training again."

"After two years of saying nothing to you about it? How strange that they would show up now of all times." Delia remarked as she continued to think to herself.

"So, what do you think? About me training again." Ash managed to ask. He was unbelievable nervous right now, which was why he approached this topic the way he did. If he introduced it slowly to his mother, he wasn't sure that he would have ever been able to say it. He really wanted her approval and support. He also knew that she very much supported the idea of her son having a stable job in the future.

Delia didn't say anything immediately and instead continued to put groceries away. On one hand, she could see his love of training from miles away and was quite sad to see him abandon his craft. It clearly had a negative influence on his overall happiness and seemed to have shaped his personality to be a bit more…cynical. Not as naïve as he used to be. On that note, his decision to stop battling and training seems to have given him a more adult perspective. This last year or so Ash has obtained a lot of maturity, for which she could not be more proud of. He seemed to be taking his future seriously, which in turn allowed her to give him the space that he needed. Knowing that her son is always safe is a big bonus to her as well.

However, Ash needed her support in what he decides is right. He has grown enough that she knows he put a fair amount of thought into this. She needed to trust in his decision making and be there for him.

"Ash, as a mother I cannot say that I'm not worried about this decision," she started, "but I will, if you choose to do so, support you all the way in your training. There is a certain love that you have for your Pokémon that I haven't really seen from anyone else. There is also a love of battling that you have deprived yourself of. You refused to even battle recreationally. It isn't my place to tell you what to do. It is my place to tell you when I think you are making a choice that can hurt yourself or the people around you. With that said, I have your back."

Ash let out the breath he didn't know he was holding and had to wipe away some tears that were forming. He didn't know how much he needed to hear that. "Thanks mom. I really appreciate that."

He truly meant it.

But that doesn't mean that he had to mention that his father was involved. It was better this way.

After another hug, Ash ran upstairs with Pikachu in tow. He closed his door and pulled out his phone. The screen illuminated and he scrolled through the options until he landed upon "CONTACTS". Scrolling through his contacts he found Gary's number first.

He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and dialed the number.

 _*Ring*_

 _*Ring*_

 _*Ri-_

"Hello? This is Gary Oak speaking. Sorry, I'm rather busy-" Ash heard a gigantic _CRASH_ before the voice on the phone continued, "…with a big problem right now. Call me back in a few days."

"Gary, it's me! Ash!"

A brief pause. Then a nervous laugh.

"Oh, hey Ashy-boy! You called earlier than I expected."

Ash raised an eyebrow at Gary's tone during that statement, but decided to not question it. "You and Paul should meet me in Viridian City by the gym tomorrow. I'll be waiting there to give you my answer."

"Why can't you just tell us over the pho-"

And then the voice simply stopped talking. Ash looked his phone and saw that he was clearly hung up on. Or the call dropped. Either way, Ash just shook his head and wondered about what could have possibly been happening over there.


	2. Surprise, Surprise!

Chapter 2: Surprise, Surprise!

* * *

"Have you gotten everything that you need, dear? You haven't forgotten to pack spare underwear, have you?" Delia fretted with motherly concern. She may have allowed Ash the space he needed to grow, but that didn't mean that she wasn't allowed to fall back on her habits as a mom she picked up over the years.

"I got it, I got it! I think I can manage," Ash managed to get say amidst the overbearing doting that he was being bombarded with. "I'm not leaving to a new region or anything! I'm just going to go talk to Gary and Paul. I should be back by tonight."

Delia allowed her son a bit of a reprieve and said, "I know. I just had the feeling that I wouldn't be seeing you for a _long_ time." She took a breath and let out a quick, "Again."

Ash winced. He knew that his mother was fairly lonely when he left on his grand quests to explore new regions. From what he understood, his mother's Mr. Mime had been sick as of late and hence had been recovering in Viridian City's Pokémon Center. Without Mr. Mime around, Ash was a bit worried that his mom would be even lonelier than she would be normally. Sure, she visits Professor Oak and some personal friends from time to time, but it isn't often. Ash's worries weren't completely founded, however, thanks to his mom now working in a location surrounded by many people. Surely she wouldn't get lonely there and most of her day is spent there. Just to be sure, he'll make sure to call often and visit when he can. Who knows, maybe he'll be able to bring her to-

" _Wait, what am I thinking? I'm not going anywhere,"_ Ash reminded himself, shaking his head in disbelief. _"How did I catch myself thinking that? Remember Ash. Home."_

He briefly recalled the display that his mother had put on just a few moments ago and tied it together with how she was talking yesterday. _"Now that I think about it, she is acting like I'm going on a journey too. I think she suspected that I was going to leave and not come back since yesterday. Subconsciously, I did too. I'm glad I caught myself."_

He didn't have any of his Pokémon with him except for Pikachu right now, which meant that he would have to stop by Professor Oak's lab. That's good. It will give Ash the chance to talk to him about all this and maybe voice his concerns about his mom.

Gathering up his things and making sure Pikachu was behind him, he bolted out of door and started running towards the grassy road that led to Viridian City. "Bye mom!"

"Bye sweetie! And have fun!" Delia waved to him before slowly stopping after he vanished from her view.

Once he couldn't see his mother either, Ash finally slowed down and catch his breath. "Whew! I'm _*huff*_ not surprisingly _*huff*_ out of sh- _*huff*_ -ape," he wheezed out, doubling over in order to save his energy. Pikachu just looked at him and shook his head in disappointment. He knew that humans progressively got weaker when they were stationary for too long, but he never would have guessed that it would have happened to his trainer. Ash always seemed to have infinite amounts of stamina.

Still catching his breath, Ash started walking through the area. He knew the route to Virdian City like the back of his hand. That wasn't terribly difficult to do though, considering that the road was very clearly outlined for the purpose of easy travel. There were a few neat shortcuts that required some exploration to utilize, but Ash wasn't interested in using them today. He just wanted a peaceful stroll.

Normally, he would have stopped by Professor Oak's laboratory before leaving Pallet Town as that was where it was located. However, he recently extended his work and is in the process of setting up a second lab. Professor Oak will be one of the only professors to attempt such an expansion, although others have toyed with the idea.

It is a small lab located southeast of the Pokémon Center and mostly only contains Ash's Pokémon. Professor Oak wanted to test the capabilities of the lab before attempting to hold what he currently does in the Pallet Town branch and asked Ash's permission to use his team as the first wave. Ash had no problem helping the good professor and so he had his team stationed in Viridian City. Professor Oak is currently overseeing the Viridian City's lab and left Professor Bloomwell in charge of the Pallet Town lab.

Professor Bloomwell was a recently accredited professor of Pokémon biology and highly intelligent, but often abrasive and hard to get along with. He and Gary had clashed the last time he saw the two together about Pokémon genetics or something. Ash wasn't quite sure why Professor Oak was the one giving him experience with a lab, but he didn't seem to mind. If anything, Professor Bloomwell and Professor Oak were always on good terms.

Ash could see the wildlife of the forest thriving in full force. He wasn't surprised, considering that it was springtime and Pokémon would always be playing, hunting, surviving, or whatever they had intended for the day. Maybe it would do him good to capture another Caterpie or something just for the sake of it. He had always loved to make new friends both human and Pokémon. Ash entertained the thought a bit more before discarding it; he didn't even have any Pokéballs on him.

The trip to Viridian City was always a short one that left Ash with the desire to travel. He once again had to dismiss such a possibility and kept moving forward. The lab in the distance grew larger as he drew closer. Impatience started to gnaw at Ash as his slow walk started to transform into a bit of a speed walk. Pikachu quietly tailed along, nearly doing his version of a light jog to keep up with his trainer's legs. Once situated in his new walking speed, he reached the entrance to the lab quickly and stopped just short of entering. It was so sudden of a stop that Pikachu almost ran into Ash's leg.

Ash would have knocked on the door, but that would require for there to have been a door to begin with. Not that he would have knocked normally anyways, considering that the door was an automatic sliding door that last time he was here. But now all that was in front of him was nothing but a gateway to the room inside. Ash shrugged and took a step inside.

The first thing he noticed, and by Arceus above it would have been impossible to miss, was the _horrid_ stench that violated his and his partner's noses. It smelled like a festering body was dunked in a used toilet that happened to be located in a fresh garbage dump. Ash physically recoiled when he first took an unsuspecting whiff of the odor and immediately felt bad of Pikachu. Pokémon typically had heightened senses above that of the senses people have. Pikachu was tough though; he only let a slight hiss in response to the offending smell. Ash refused to retreat though and pressed forward with his nose pinched by his right hand. He went from unfinished room to unfinished room before stumbling into a room filled with a plethora of technology. It was here that Professor Oak was located, seemingly pouring over his notes.

"Professor Oak?" Ash called out, his voice amusingly nasally. "It's Ash."

Professor Oak snapped up from his hunched position and turned to face Ash. A slow smile of recognition brightened Oak's expression. "Hello Ash! Good to see you as usual. Apologies, I was preoccupied with a bit of Professor Bloomwell's research."

"Professor, what is with this smell? It's pretty bad." Ash mentioned. And while it was a terrible smell, his nose was starting to get used to it. Slowly.

"Ah yes, that dreadful stench is the smell of science! A bit of an experiment involving your Pokémon, might I add," Professor Oak explained excitedly. He didn't seem too bothered by the smell even when it called it "dreadful." Must be his adaptation to the smell combined with his older age.

"I really hope you didn't kill them," Ash joked lightheartedly. He took a deeper breath before his face contorted in disgust. Too soon for that. "It sure smells like that's a possibility."

"It involved your Muk actually. Professor Bloomwell collaborated with a professional poffin maker from Sinnoh to create a new brand of Pokémon food," Professor Oak continued to explain as he ushered Ash out of the room. "He wanted to see if he could use his knowledge to create a brand of Pokémon food that would enhance a Pokémon's abilities. I gave him permission to test his sample on your Muk since your Muk agreed to it. It was supposed to be able to allow your Muk to change its viscosity at will."

Ash grimaced. "I guess that this stench is the product of his experiment instead?"

"More or less," Professor Oak confirmed, slightly sheepish towards the whole situation. "The sample seemed to have targeted Muk's stench glands and amplified their output. Somehow, or at least that's the theory. We decided to suspend the experimentation until I'm a bit more…" he waved his hand to sum up all of the lab space and finished, "…situated with this whole lab business."

As Oak beckoned for Ash to follow him to the Pokémon Maintenance Area, Ash spotted the entrance to the laboratory again.

"Professor, why is your door missing?"

Oak let out a merry laugh and addressed Ash without turning around by saying, "Well, I've been having fits with that door. It refuses to open and close sometimes, instead choosing to stuck in the open position, close position, and every position in between. The day of the experiment, after the _*ahem*_ results manifested, the door refused to open. At all. The stench grew so bad even with open windows that we were forced to remove the door for the time being."

A pretty simple answer, in Ash's opinion. It was unfortunate that Professor Oak was forced to remove that door. It wasn't a particularly easy door to install and it must have been just as difficult to uninstall. It's going to have to be reinstalled too.

" _Maybe Professor Oak should consider a manually operated door,"_ Ash contemplated before focusing on more important matters. _"Well, now is as good a time as any to tell the professor."_

Professor Oak and Ash reached the Pokémon Maintenance Area or PMA as it was informal called. Lining the walls were rows of Pokéballs containing the Pokémon Ash had befriended over the years, along with a few Pokéballs belonging to other trainers. Each ball had a label underneath it that dictated which ball contained which Pokémon. Certain sections of the wall were segregated to separate the balls based on their trainers. It was a crude replacement to the high-class machinery that was present in Pallet Town's lab, but it served its purpose well enough. It always made Ash happy to see this wall; it was a reminder of the adventures he had, the people he met, and the trials he and his team overcame. He couldn't ask for a better experience with these guys.

"I assume that you came here to retrieve some of your old team," Professor Oak suddenly spoke during the silence. "After all, it would be rather challenging to try taking on battles with just Pikachu alone, wouldn't you say?"

"You knew? Since when?" Ash asked, startled at how right the professor was.

"I had known the minute I laid eyes on you today. There was a passion…or rather, a fire in your eyes that I hadn't seen in two years," Oak responded knowingly, patting Ash on the back. "Or you could just call it a lucky guess. One that I was right about, according to your previous statement," he said. His eyes twinkled mischievously, like that of a parent ready to embarrass their child.

Ash almost looked annoyed. He certainly _felt_ annoyed. Apparently, nobody was shocked that he was going to start training again. Wasn't there supposed to be this big triumphant return speech that would make the people cheer for him? Weren't people supposed to be jumping out of their socks by how newsworthy his information was? It almost feels like people didn't take his slump seriously. Like they knew he would return to battling eventually.

…

 _Did_ they know before Ash had even considered it? Were they in on Gary and Paul's scheme? Has this been going on for years with the help and cooperation of everyone involved in order to get him invested in what they thought he truly loved?

" _Okay, enough of the conspiracy theories. I don't think that is the case at all."_

Ash, for what felt like the millionth time, shook his thoughts out of his head and turned towards a bemused Oak. "Okay, you are right. Congratulations on guessing it," Ash said while rolling his eyes. A master of secrecy he was not, apparently. "I do need tell all of my team this though. Can you help me round them up from outside?"

Professor Oak's grin only grew larger. "I haven't taken any of the Pokémon outside yet, barring your herd of Tauros. I am late in doing so since I became busied by Bloomwell's work earlier. They are all still here, which is easy for you to round up I suppose," he said as-a-matter-of-factly. "And I'm sure that you know as well as I do that Pokémon can easily here what is being said while they are in their stasis."

Ash raised a finger and was about to say something when he noticed that out of the corner of his eye, one of his Pokéballs started moving. Then another. Then another. And yet _another_. He slowly moved to face Professor Oak, who was still wearing that insufferable grin. It even dared to look like a smirk at this point! Ash never recalled Professor Oak acting so… _self-righteous_ before. Maybe self-righteous wasn't a good word. Self-confident maybe? Or perhaps-

All of the Pokéballs released themselves at once and a torrent of Ash's Pokémon flooded into the room. They took up any amount of space that they could fit, which thankfully wasn't a terrible problem due to the spacious capacity of the room. That being said, Ash was thoroughly squished and could nearly hear every single cry from his team. He didn't even want to know how Professor Oak was holding up.

"Alright guys, I get it! I'm pretty excited too, but I can't breathe!" Ash yelled out amongst all of the chattering. He wasn't totally serious; he could breathe just fine enough to stay conscious, but it required effort.

The noise from all of the Pokémon ceased instantly and they all got off of Ash. Instead, they choose to circle around him while having the bigger and taller Pokémon further back. They were orderly and had their attention trained on Ash, staring at him closely as they waited for him to say something. Ash stood up and turned in a full circle so that he could see all of the Pokémon that were with him. He also tried to find Professor Oak, but the wily old man seemed to have slipped away during the chaos.

Ash cleared his throat anyways and said, "Hi everyone. It's good to see you all together like this. As I'm sure you all know, I've decided to become a trainer once more. After two entire years, I think that I'm ready to try again." Some of the stronger, more battle-oriented Pokémon nodded in respect, Ash noticed. "That said, I do not plan to travel. At least, not yet. I want to find my roots in battling and…maybe we will see down the road about competing again."

"You all may be wonder why I have decided to become a trainer again in the first place. The reason is simple," Ash said firmly, making sure to have each of his team clear on the subject. "I was promised a meeting with my long lost father if I took up battling again. My father, someone who I have wanted to meet again for a very long time. At the moment, that is my primary reason and that is what I will fight for. If you wish to stand by me in task, please stay in the room. If you don't wish to fight for that reason, you may leave. I will not be upset if you choose to do so."

Ash waited. As he predicted, no Pokémon had left the room. Now, it was time for the next part of the test.

"Now, once I meet my father, there is a good chance that I will not continue to train or battle. After all, I have no intentions to stray far from home and leave my mother to wallow in loneliness anymore. It would be better for me to abandon training, after meeting my dad, for the sake of my future. If you cannot accept this, you may leave. I will understand if you choose to do so and I will not be upset."

Ash waited again. A little longer this time, for this time he was judging the Pokémon around him intently. Any sign of a Pokémon displaying the desire to leave and Ash would have them leave anyways. He didn't want to force his team to battle alongside him due to peer pressure from this very moment. He wouldn't even release them if they didn't want to be released. He just wouldn't use them or train them for battle.

Despite Ash's words, all of his Pokémon stood even stronger than during the last statement, as if to make a point about their decision. And though Ash had said that he wouldn't be upset if any of them left, he could feel himself getting emotional for their display. He was _proud_ of each and every one of them.

"Alright then guys. Every single one of you, except for the Tauros, are welcome back to train with me. I still have to ask them, after all." Ash grabbed front of his hat and swung it around fiercely. "Prepare to give it everything you got! I wouldn't settle for anything less and neither would you!"

A rousing roar erupted from everybody, including Ash. It was inspiring, heartfelt, and free, which could be felt by even some distance away. It was as if the roar released each and every body in that room from invisible shackles. Shackles that had been dragged around and toiled with for two years. The roar felt so good to Ash that he didn't even notice the professor standing by the doorway, looking at the entire spectacle with a surprised look. Now this… _this_ he did not expect to see.

After calming down and noticing Professor Oak staring at him, Ash turned a furious shade of red and quickly hushed everyone. Professor Oak simply chuckled at Ash and handed Ash something. It was a medium sized device and mainly colored red.

"Is this my Pokédex? It looks different from before when I left it with you," Ash remarked as he toyed with it. It certainly looked newer than when he left it and he could also see some additional buttons.

"It's been upgraded. As a Pokémon Professor, it is my duty to ensure that you have the latest software and hardware upgrades used in all Pokédexes," Professor Oak explained. "I didn't know if you ever intended to travel or not, but I figured that it was better to be prepared than unprepared."

Ash smiled and place the Pokédex in his pocket. "Thanks professor. I don't think I'll go far enough to put this to good use, but I might come across a rare Pokémon from a stray battle or something. Who knows? Maybe one will just pop up in the wild!"

Professor Oak returned Ash's smile. "Yes, I'm sure that you having that device would be a benefit for both of us." Professor Oak also pulled another device no bigger than a phone. He pressed a button on the strange machine and it unfolded into a larger square with glowing lights fading in and out. "Especially with this. It's only compatible with this version of the Pokédex. Not many have this device right now since it's still in development, but I've decided to entrust it to you for the time being. That is, if you accept it."

"What exactly is this thing? I've never seen it before," Ash replied, confused as to how he would use this thing. "It looks kind of cool though."

"This is a Portable Pokémon Transfer Device, abbreviated PPTD. It will allow you to switch out your team of six Pokémon no matter where you are," Professor Oak answered excitedly, feeling the magnitude of this science upon his shoulders. "It will revolutionize how trainers travel. You wouldn't be forced to go to a Pokémon Center every time you needed to change a Pokémon out. All you have to do is get into contact with whoever is holding your Pokémon, assuming they have a machine to send your Pokémon with, sync up the two devices, and finally swap the two Pokémon!"

Ash couldn't believe it! This was something that many trainers only dreamed of doing! He was about to jump for joy when the professor continued to mention that it did have its limits

"You cannot send just send a Pokémon or just receive a Pokémon. There has to be a swap. Furthermore, this device has to be charged in advance. This means that it can run out of energy and not be able to transfer anything. In addition, more energy will be consumed depending on how big or how heavy Pokémon travelling across the device are. For example, two heavy Pokémon will consume more energy than one heavy Pokémon and one fairly light Pokémon. There are some other things, but I can explain those to you later." Professor Oak handed Ash the device. Ash took the device carefully, pushed the button to refold it, and placed it in his bag for safekeeping.

Professor Oak nodded sagely. "I'm counting on you, though I'm sure you already know that. Remember, this is a fairly delicate machine. While it's supposed to be built for rough traversing, these few models are not quite equipped for that purpose."

"I will take good care of it, Professor Oak," said Ash as he prepared to select his team. He would consult his many Tauros, sure, but he didn't plan on using any of them yet anyways. "You can count of me!"

Professor Oak gave Ash a thumbs-up and responded with a reassured smile. He said nothing more as he briskly walked out of the room, probably eager to attend to business related to his profession as one of the revered professors of Pokémon. Ash listened as the professor's footsteps, clanging on the metallic floor, grew quieter and more distant until they could no longer be heard.

The young trainer turned his attention back to the Pokémon surrounding him. He took in a deep breath and quickly exhaled.

"Okay, so who wants to go first?"

* * *

 **:A FEW HOURS LATER:**

Gary was tapping his foot impatiently. Normally it was Paul who would be grumbling about waiting, but Paul was at the Pokémon Center. To be fair, he was probably grumbling there as well. It was just kind of what Paul did when things didn't adhere to his strict schedule. And while Gary had little problem following such a schedule, he had forgotten that Ash wasn't a big fan of arriving anywhere early. Or on time for that matter.

Gary couldn't directly blame him though. After all, Ash never set a time for them to meet up.

" _Another one of his charms."_ The thought dripped with sarcasm. _"I'd count myself lucky to see him before the moon is seen in the sky!"_

He scoffed at the very notion. As silly as the idea sounded, he wouldn't entirely put in past the guy. Ash _did_ manage to oversleep on day that marked the beginning of his training and Gary, for a fact, knew that Ash was entirely too excited to miss something like that. Leave it up to Ash to defy Gary's expectations of him at every turn. For better…yet mostly for worse.

Gary let out a hybrid of a sigh, a groan, and an irritated _ugh_ before folding his arms. Gary was a fairly patient man. He could do this.

He could do this.

He could _do_ this.

Another sigh. Maybe he would meet up with Paul and-

" _I can do this. What kind of scientist can't wait for results? That's what I'm basically doing, right?"_ his thoughts reverberated. _"I just wish Ash gave me at least a rough timeframe of when to expect him."_

Gary glanced around his surrounding area another time to see if he could spot the tell-tale sign of a trainer with a Pikachu running around.

And spot the tell-tale sign he did! Gary's eyes focused on the visage of Ash running towards him with, of course, Pikachu running behind him. As Ash got closer, Gary noticed that Ash's appearance was a bit disheveled, like he had tripped a few times along getting here. The researcher, naturally curious about this matter, intentionally discarded any desire to know about it for the time being. There were more important matters at hand.

Gary just looked at Ash as the young trainer once again found himself doubled over in exhaustion, the lack of stamina clear as day. Gary withheld the desire to tease Ash about his physical condition for the time being. Hopefully, he would have another opportunity in the near future.

"Good to see you so soon, Ash," said Gary, trying to keep all irritation out of the statement. He waited for Ash to regain his breath before continuing. "We'll have to discuss your timing issues later. For now, I hear that you have an answer for us?"

Ash looked around. "Where is Paul?"

"He's busy. Something came up and now he's at the Pokémon Center. It's just me for now," Gary explained. "Rest assured, it's nothing that bad."

The young trainer sized up the researcher and snorted. "Yeah, my faith in you guys seems to be the only thing you ever ask of me," Ash retorted. He stood a little straighter after that statement and said, "Alright Gary. I know you won't disappoint me."

"Hmm?" was Gary's response, along with a raised eyebrow.

"I, Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town-" Ash dramatically announced as he motioned for Pikachu to get ready, "will be taking responsibility for my two year absence and become a trainer once again!"

"Pika- _CHU_!" Pikachu let out before unleashing a sizable bolt of lightning directly into the sky. It traveled at a breakneck speed before Pikachu stopped suppling power to the attack, leaving the bolt to nearly vanish from view. The small electric Pokémon cheered and high-fived Ash, who fist-pumped and turned towards Gary eagerly.

Gary slowly clapped, his expression unchanged. "Impressive. Are you going to bust out a deck of cards and show me a magic trick too?"

Ash threw his hands up and shouted, "That's it! I give up! If a light show from Pikachu won't get a reaction, then I guess nothing will." He suddenly laughed boisterously, causing Gary to take a quick step back. "I don't even care at this point!"

Pikachu mimicked Ash and laughed as well, although it was mostly to support Ash. Pikachu didn't remember this part of the script, but on the fly adaptation was something he could certainly do. His trainer deserved that much, at least. What were pika-pals for?

"Ash, you are causing a scene," Gary noted in a deadpan tone, effectively silencing Ash and Pikachu. "If you are done, we should get moving. I told Paul that we'll meet him at the Pokémon Center and I don't want to hear his complaining."

"That's fair," replied Ash. "But aren't you curious in-"

"No."

"You can be a real jerk too sometimes." The words were muttered under his breath, though that didn't stop Gary from giving Ash a piercing glare before heading in the direction of the Pokémon Center.

The party of three moved with purpose towards their seemingly final destination for the day. Pikachu had scurried up onto Ash's shoulder and was attentively surveying the area. It was a good way to keep the senses alert and could always come in handy should Pikachu spot something interesting. Ash paid no mind to Pikachu and instead made light conversation with Gary.

"So Gary, what happened yesterday? I heard some crazy things from your end."

Gary grimaced as the memory returned in full force; he could almost feel it slamming into the forefront of his thoughts. "Paul and I were attempting to get his Pokémon to mega-evolve again. We failed. Miserably, might I add?"

Ash pondered for a moment and then said, "What exactly did you guys do?"

The researcher chuckled darkly as the memory continued to replay itself. "We tried to get Paul to ride him. But Paul, apparently, wasn't comfortable with the experience and started to berate his Pokémon when he got smacked by a few trees during the ride. Of course, the insults weren't taken well and…umm," the words trailed off, only for him to resume, "Paul was thrown off."

"HA! Seriously? That's hilarious!" Ash was nearly crying from laughter at the thought. Just imagining Paul majestically soaring through the air with that grumpy frown made Ash's whole week. But then Ash considered that Paul might have actually been hurt and stopped laughing. "Is he okay?"

"Who, Paul? Yeah, he's fine. Just a few scratches. It would take more than that to bring him down," Gary elaborated as if he was proud of that fact. All it did was make Ash not as sorry for laughing.

"But why a ride? And what Pokémon is this exactly?"

"We were trying to manifest a stronger bond between the two and thought that a team effort like riding would help," said Gary earnestly. "As for the Pokémon's identity, I'll have Paul show you himself."

Ash groaned. "Great. More secrets."

They arrived at the Pokémon Center and entered through the electronic sliding door. Inside was the classic Nurse Joy; she was busy managing the front desk with another trainer. This didn't stop her from greeting the three upon entry though.

"Welcome to the Pokémon Center!" Nurse Joy greeted enthusiastically. She wore a bright smile and continued, "I'll be with you as soon as I can!"

"No need for that, Nurse Joy," Gary said as he waved to her. "We're just here for Paul."

Her smile fell a bit as her eyes slowly wandered to the end of the center. "Oh, Paul? Yes, I believe he is over there." She pointed near the PC.

Paul almost appeared to have a storm cloud over his head with how downcast he held himself. It did not befit that of a champion at all but still rather intimidated Ash. Who knew that Paul had emotions other than sarcastic, angry, and disappointed? This Paul was a Paul that Ash had never quite seen before. Intrigued, Ash pressed forward and confronted Paul.

"Heya!"

Paul's mood shifted instantly and he was once again back to his normal self. "I hope that you came here to deliver good news. For the record, good news means news that I actually want to hear."

Ash's eye twitched involuntarily. He couldn't help it; Paul always managed to get under his skin in a matter of seconds. Pikachu patted Ash on the head in an effort to calm his trainer down. Ash recomposed himself, thanked Pikachu, and acknowledged Paul once more.

"I'm going to start training once again and take you down!"

Paul's response was almost instant. "I'd like to see you try."

Tension was thick between the two. The naturally hot-headedness that Ash was famous for couldn't be quenched through sarcastic quips alone. Paul normally never rose to the occasion of battle against people he was certain he could beat, but Ash was an exception. This was his chance at revenge from the Sinnoh league loss.

"I probably don't even need to train all that much just to beat you!"

Paul almost smiled. The opportunity was too perfect. "Say about three days? We'll have a three on three battle in a clearing off of the Viridian Forest. Think you can manage until then?"

Ash was fuming at this point. Paul was so certain that he could beat him! He may have beaten a league, but they both conquered the same Battle Frontier. He couldn't be that far behind, even from two years of not training. He was certain that he could beat Paul and put him in his place.

"You're on! I'll see you in three days!" Ash yelled. Nurse Joy jumped a little at the sudden increase in volume in an otherwise quiet building. "C'mon Pikachu! We have work to do!" Pikachu nearly flew off of Ash as the young trainer bolted from the center, leaving a dust trail in his wake once he got outside.

Gary pinched the bridge of his nose and slowly shook his head. "Really Paul? Is this what we've come to do?"

Paul scowled. "I don't expect you to understand when you gave up fighting after you lost to him."

"I'm not so immature as to get so worked up over something like that," said Gary. "I've made peace with my past. Isn't there a Pokémon you should be picking up anyways?"

Paul scoffed at Gary's words and stated, "Funny, I don't remember you being so 'adult' when your research was under fire by the media. Something about being washed up?"

Gary whirled on Paul and Paul found himself looking uncomfortably close at Gary's face.

"Those idiots don't understand the implications of my research! All they want to see are the immediate benefits of what science can do for them! Not all research is geared towards making everyone's lives easier as quickly as possible. Patience is required from us researchers and scientists, so why can't they exercise a bit of that patience as well? I swear, it's people like that who…"

Gary's tirade dissolved into a torrent of misshapen muttering. Paul wasn't sure whether he was satisfied in proving Gary wasn't as mature as he thought, or unsatisfied in the fact that now he had to listen to Gary complain about, in his opinion, pointless things. Who cares about what naysayers say? As long as you can prove your superiority over others, the peanut gallery has no right to say anything. And anything they say will crumble in the face of absolute power.

With that in mind, Paul was very much looking forward to crushing Ash in their upcoming battle. He knew that two years of inactivity would not be enough time to get a team together to fight him with any decent results. If anything, this would kill two birds with one stone. It will give Ash an extra layer of motivation to train to defeat him as well as give Paul a semblance of satisfaction towards avenging his loss. It would not be a true avenging since Ash would not be battling at full strength, but it would do for now. Ash losing to him would also make Paul's _next_ suggestion for Ash _much_ more appealing.

"Gary, I want you to do me a favor," Paul said as he went to retrieve his Pokémon from Nurse Joy. Gary snapped out of his fervor towards the media and looked at Paul curiously. Gary Oak knew that Paul never asked for favors since he hated being indebted to anyone.

"I want you to be with Ash until we have our battle. You know my battle style and I'll tell you what Pokémon I'm going to be using. I want you to tell him everything about me," Paul said without any sort of hesitation. "Essentially, prepare him for our battle as much as possible. I'm going to be off training by myself. Even though I feel confident in my skills and my team, I will not be too reckless. Telling you to do this for me is enough."

"Are you sure?" Gary asked as he studied Paul's expression. "I don't even know if Ash will take that kind of advice from me."

"If he chooses not to take it, that's fine. Just offer it if you can. I want him to come at me with all he has if he's serious about being a trainer again." Paul didn't show it, but he was slightly anxious about his upcoming battle. He hated to admit it, but Ash was someone who often didn't play by conventional rules of battle and thus was hard to beat. You never knew what to expect from him and that's how he won. He was sure to retain that particular talent even without training…and that talent was hard to beat. Especially for Paul who specialized in dissecting an opponent's battle style and coming up with logical solutions on how to deal with it.

"I'll see you soon enough, Mr. Researcher," was the last thing Paul said before he exited the center, picking up his Pokémon as he did so.

Gary frowned before taking off after Ash, sprinting as to not be left behind by the energetic trainer. "You owe me for this, Paul!"

* * *

 **:One Day Before The Battle:**

"…and that's really all I have to tell you."

Ash sank in the comfy couch, ransacked by this thoughts. "I didn't ask for you to help me."

Gary rolled his eyes. "Yeah, but Paul would have my head if I didn't say something. And as much as I don't like him at times, I respect his wishes as a trainer most of the time."

"Thanks Gary, but I don't intend to change my team anyways. I don't want to build a team specifically to beat him. I want to use a team that I want to use!" Ash declared stubbornly. He was confident in his Pokémon and knew that their bonds could overcome any obstacle.

Gary merely sighed, sank into the couch, and said, "Well, at least I tried. You go and do whatever you want, Ash. Changing your mind is like trying to wrestle a Machamp. Futile…at best."

"We will. Right, Pikachu?" said Ash as he gestured towards Pikachu.

Pikachu, who had been running a training _gauntlet_ , was tired beyond all measure. His fur felt as though it was weighing him down tenfold of what it was supposed to. He had long spent up the last of his electricity, even down to the reserves. His _everything_ ached, yet it was the good kind of ache. Pokémon usually heal incredibly quickly, so he knew that he would be fit for battle by the next day. Pikachu was looking forward to zapping his foes again.

"Piiika," was all that Pikachu had to say. Pikachu ended up turning away from Ash and resting on the ground. Not the most comfortable place, but it would do for now.

"See?" Ash stated, attempting to show an uninterested Gary. "We will beat that annoying Paul and go from there! I might even be able to tease him about not getting his Pokémon to mega-evolve!"

"Ash, you have no idea of what you are getting yourself into," Gary warned while yawning. "Paul is no slouch. He's only gotten better at battling since you two fought in Sinnoh. And that's when you were using a decent team for a change."

"All of my Pokémon are above decent! I can beat him with whoever I use!"

"I wish you the best in that endeavor. But for now, I'm going to leave and take all of my precious information with me."

A pause. Then, Ash's voice broke out and said, "I don't need your _precious information_! I already have a plan to defeat Paul." Ash winked without missing a beat, "It's been with me since we decided to battle."

Ash yawned and stretched his arms. "Although maybe I should contact someone else and run my plans through them. I want to see if it all makes sense, you know?"

Gary snickered in response, though it was mostly an attempt to rejuvenate his quickly fading patience. "They wouldn't be able to give you any better advice than what I just told you. If you really want to do well tomorrow, you'll listen to what I said."

"I don't want to."

Gary tightly balled up his fist and snarled, "You and your stubborn pride! Lose for all I care then!"

Gary Oak had enough. He jumped up and was about to storm out of the room. He simply hated dealing with this side of Ash. There was no point for him to stick around any longer anyways since he technically fulfilled Paul's request. Gary figured that he would crash at his gramp's place before the big battle tomorrow and relax his nerves. It was bad enough trying to coexist with Paul's attitude; he certainly didn't have to deal with Ash's as well.

The researcher firmly grasp the door knob and was about to let himself out. "Bye Ash. I'll see you tomorrow, I guess."

The door was in mid-swing when a resounding _*Thunk!*_ stopped the door from fully opening. Gary stopped, curious about what exactly he hit. A second or two passed and Gary heard a whimpering groan coming from the other side. A female one, by the sound of it. By now, the obstruction seemed to have cleared the way and Gary was allowed to fully open the door. His eyes rested on the figure of a girl sitting on the ground who appeared to be a tad disoriented. And while he didn't directly recognize her, she certainly seemed familiar.

"Gary, what was that? You didn't hit my mom, did you?" Ash walked over to where Gary was standing. He was carefully helping a girl up as she dusted herself off. And while it wasn't his mom, Ash recognized who it was immediately.

"Serena?"

"Hey Ash! Long time no see!" Serena responded happily, her run-in with the door completely forgotten. She turned her attention to address Gary once she was sure all of the dust was back on the ground. "And hello to you, famous one. Gary Oak, if I recall correctly."

"Yeah, that's me. Have we met before?" he asked her. The visage of Serena was incredibly familiar to Gary; he never truly forgot a face. "Maybe from television or something?"

"Maybe indeed," Serena giggled. "I have been on television a few times. I also attended your grandfather's Pokémon Camp during my younger years."

A flash of remembrance sparked in Gary's eyes. "Maybe that's why you look so familiar. I must have seen you during one of his camps."

"I don't think you would have remembered her from just those memories alone, Gary," Ash interjected skeptically. "Professor Oak ran a lot of camps, and those were many years ago."

Gary waved Ash's words off as if they were buzzing flies. "Whatever. The point is that it's nice to meet you again Serena." He extended his hand towards her. "Ashy-boy is also happy to see you."

"Hey, I can speak for myself!" the young trainer retorted, fuming. It was best to make sure that Gary never had an influence on how his friends perceived him. Ash pushed Gary out of the way and took Serena's hand. "It's good to see you again, Serena!"

Serena just chuckled at the display. "It's nice to see you in such high spirits," she said truthfully. She had expected Ash to be a little more reserved than this, considering what she had heard recently. "I missed you, you know. I haven't heard from you this past year."

All of a sudden, Ash was felt like he was being put on the spot. He had avoided talking to Serena in the last year as he started to become more reclusive. He didn't respond to her letters and actively avoided her calls until they stopped altogether six months later.

Ash wasn't going to lie to her; she deserved the truth. "Sorry about that. I've been avoiding everyone to be honest. At least, everyone outside of the surrounding area that I knew well. It wasn't fair to you or anyone else and I'm sorry." He bowed to her, surprising Serena. "Please forgive me."

"You are forgiven, Ash. I could never hold a grudge against you," she replied as he straightened himself out. She blushed slightly as she continued to say, "But if you really w-wanted to get on my good side, I'll always t-take a hug!"

Ash, in complete silence, walked over and hugged a furiously blushing Serena. "I did miss you too, Serena. I wouldn't admit it to myself before, but I will now."

"Ash! I-I am… _eep_!"

Serena couldn't believe that she let out an _eep_ like that. Was she really this prone to being flustered like this by Ash? Even a year later?

" _I thought I got over this!"_ she frantically yelled to herself.

 ***BEEP BEEEEP!***

Serena jumped away from Ash and yelped. The unexpected honk of a car horn caused Pikachu to run outside to see what was going on. Cars weren't particularly common in this area of Pallet Town, meaning that this car was here for a very specific reason.

"How much longer are you gonna be hugging Serena like that? Don't you have any respect?"

This voice was certainly new to Gary, Ash, and Pikachu. The voice was surprisingly smooth for how coarse the message's tone was. The sleek vehicle's ignition settled as a boy hopped out, not even bothering to open the car door. He had a pair of black sunglasses resting above his fiery red eyes. The color of the eyes was especially rare when contacts were not involved, and Ash wasn't sure if he had contacts on or not. His black, tattered jacket flowed with the light breeze, almost like a pseudo-cape. The guy's bright white jeans matched his white t-shirt; the shirt in question had an insignia of something that Ash wasn't privy to.

" _It looks like he's around my age. Who is this guy?"_ Ash wondered. He was typically nice towards respectable people, but this guy put him on edge. _"I really don't want to deal with anymore jerks. I've had enough of them as of late."_

Pikachu looked a bit lost and Gary was more curious than anything about what the new face intended to do. The guy in question practically sauntered over to where Ash was standing, clearly sizing him up as he did so. He stopped directly in front of Ash and stared him right in the eyes with the most piercing glare he had in his arsenal. Ash, never one to back down, retaliated with a seasoned glare of his own. The two looked at each other in complete silence before the staring contest was interrupted by the sound Serena's footsteps. She was walking towards the two.

"Ash, allow me to introduce you to, umm, Fletcher Xenia," Serena started timidly. She cursed her inability to shrug off nerves at times like these. "He's, uhh, well…he's a Pokémon Trainer."

"…is that right?" The words tumbled out slowly and deliberately. Ash's muscles were tense and his thoughts were firing as if he was having a battle. In a certain light, he did in fact have a battle. An unspoken battle of staring attrition.

Ash's opponent quickly replaced his fierce expression with a wolfish grin and stood proudly. His chest was slightly puffed out along with his head tilted slightly upward. "Yeah, that's me! Sorry about my earlier display of rudeness!"

He leaned in close to Ash. "After all, once I got a good look at you, I realized that I had _nothing_ to be worried about."

Ash's expression darkened considerably. He didn't know what Fletcher was insinuating, but he did understand that he was just insulted. Even worse, his strength was insulted. Or at least, that's what Ash could come up with.

Fletcher walked away from Ash and ended up next to Gary; he gave Gary a small bow of respect. "Hey there, research extraordinaire! It's truly an honor to be in the company of such an elite person," Fletcher extended his hand to shake with Gary's. Gary narrowed his eyes in suspicion yet reached out to take his hand before Fletcher pulled it back at the last second, smoothing his hair in the same motion.

"Woah, no wonder people are so upset at you Gare-bear. With how slowly you reached for my hand, it's no wonder that people think your research has grinded to a halt. You must really like to take your time with everything."

And with that last statement, Fletcher confidently approached Serena. She was still fairly close to Ash as she hadn't moved after he went to address Gary. He wrapped an arm around her and nearly yanked her close him as she protested with a " _hey!"_ before falling silent again. She settled on uncomfortably squirming in his grip until he eventually let her go, though she didn't move any further away from his reach.

"Serena, I told you a thousand times that I _do not_ like to be called Flether," he reprimanded, playfully nudging her in the process. "It would be like me calling you 'Serenalalay' or something like that."

"So what do you call yourself, Fletcher?" Gary growled, making sure stress every syllable of his disliked name.

Fletcher, on the other hand, paid little mind to it and spun to face the researcher, his arms fully extended as though to make himself bigger than life. "You can call me Felix! Felix the Fantastic!"

"I always thought you were more of a 'Fiery Felix' kind of guy," Serena mentioned offhandedly. "I liked it when you called yourself that, anyway."

Fletcher, or rather Felix, crossed his arms and nodded contemplatively. "You make a fair point." He then laughed exuberantly. "For you, I would have no problem calling myself fiery!"

He pulled Serena over to his side again, this time with only a hopeless sigh coming from his target. "After all, couples are meant to support each other!"

He grinned devilishly towards Ash and Gary. "Not that I would expect you two to know anything about that."

Ash's eyes widened in disbelief at the news. He couldn't believe it!

The mere thought of Serena going out with… _this_?

With… _him_!?

The idea of such a good friend of his, whom he has known for years, going out with this unpleasant punk had Ash concerned on a level that he didn't even know he had. He didn't trust this guy to take care of a pet, so how was he ever supposed to trust this guy to take care of Serena?

Unable to think of anything else to say, Ash simply turned to Serena and said, "What do you see in _this_ guy? Did he threaten you to agree to this?"

Ash felt an undercurrent of emotions steadily grow stronger as he looked at Serena's guilty face. He studied how she fidgeted and seemed to be interested in every other direction except for his.

Did she really…?

A vein bulged from Felix's head and he stomped over to Ash, snarling, "I didn't do anything of the sort, you waste of space! You dare accuse me of such a thing?" His anger seemed to grow as the seconds passed and he shoved Ash backwards. "You need to learn some damn respect!"

Ash recoiled in surprise. He wasn't ready for a physical assault and almost fell over. "What is your problem? Is this how you managed to coerce Serena into going out with you?" Ash spat back, his blood started to boil at the mere thought of Felix manhandling Serena like this. It was better than considering the alternative, at least.

Felix didn't get another word out before he felt his muscles lock up, immobilizing him where he stood. Fighting against his sudden paralysis, he managed to use his eyes to locate a Pikachu, who was positioned in an offensive stance, cackling with leftover electricity. He put the pieces together and let his anger die down since he was faced with no other options. He released a stress-relieving breath and snorted derisively at the small Pokémon.

"A Thunder-Wave, huh? A pretty stable one too, might I add," said Felix as he tried to move his fingers. Nothing happened. "Not strong enough to really hold down a serious Pokémon in battle, but strong enough to keep me still. A stronger Thunder-Wave might have caused my heartbeat to function erratically, so kudos to you, small rodent."

Gary walked over to Pikachu and said, "I think that's enough Pikachu. It's clear to us that's he calmed down."

Pikachu shook his head. "Pi-ka."

"Fine. Ash, call off Pikachu. He's only going to listen to you on this sort of thing, I guess."

Ash halfway wanted to leave Felix in this situation for a little while longer, but Thunder-Wave required the user to supply a steady energy in order to control the electricity affecting the victim. At least as the move was used in this way. That and he knew from experience that being subjected to a Thunder-Wave wasn't really a pleasant feeling; he didn't want to hurt him, no matter how much of a jerk he was.

"Yeah, you can stop, Pikachu," said Ash as he tried to diffuse his own anger. Pikachu, not taking his eyes off of Felix, stopped the attack. Ash gave Pikachu a tired smile. "Thanks buddy."

Felix didn't look any worse for wear and stretched his muscles nonchalantly. His wary glance towards Pikachu wasn't lost on Ash, however.

"I appreciate you giving me my body back. How kind of you," he sneered. "Good to see your Pokémon trying to fight your battles for you, Ketchum."

Ash shrugged and was about to retaliate with a statement of his own before something caught his attention. He thought about what Felix said and asked, "How do you know my last name? I never introduced myself."

"How do you think, dumbass?" Felix shook his head and almost looked disappointed in Ash. "Serena told me all about you. _Too much_ about you, in my opinion. I probably know things about you that you never knew yourself."

Ash tentatively regarded Serena in light of that statement. "How much did you tell this guy?"

Serena, despite the tense atmosphere and stupid actions of her significant other, found herself blushing incredibly hard. She didn't realize that she was talking about Ash so much to Felix since he never said anything about it to her.

" _Ash was on my mind a lot, true, but he was supposed to stay there! I don't even want to talk TO Ash at this point…"_

Serena realized that she was being waited on for an answer and said, "Oh, you know. Not…that much. It's not really important and I didn't focus that much on the details."

A snort of incredulity was heard. "You described his _hair_ to me, Serena. You even told me that it was _raven_ colored."

"That was so long ago and I was drunk, okay!?"

Gary eyed Serena suspiciously, his "maturity" kicking in. "You don't look of drinking age to me."

Pikachu had to agree. "Pika-chu."

"Okay guys, I feel like we are getting off track here," Ash, of all people, said in an attempt to redirect the conversation into something meaningful. He waved a finger between Felix and Serena, saying, "Why are you two here anyways? Putting aside the possibility that you came all this way to tell me that you two were going out, I can't seem to come up with a reason."

Felix explained he and Serena were coming back from a vacation on an island. The vacation had taken place during a festival on the newly revamped Cinnabar Island. They had spent about a week enjoying themselves before planning to return to Kalos.

"That was the gist of it until I noticed Serena looking all mopey," Felix said as he hitched his thumb over to her general direction. "She mentioned that a good friend of hers that was close to our location was having a tough time with something or another." Irritation was unquestionably present on his face. "Of course, once she told me who it was, I wasn't too happy with her idea to come see you."

Serena looked almost distraught and huffed, "You couldn't expect me to leave him like that! Ash has helped me to become who I am today. The least I can do is be there for him."

Felix barely acknowledged her before saying, "I'm an understanding soul, so of course we hopped in this car that I'm borrowing and drove here from the port nearby."

"That doesn't explain why you were so testy with Ash from the get go," Gary, who kept a fair distance from Felix, mentioned.

A brief inhale and exhale was heard. "All I saw was him hugging my Serena a bit longer than any normal friend would. Forgive me for protecting our relationship from," he paused to send another glare at Ash, continuing, " _potential_ intrusions."

Ash elected to ignore Felix and instead turned to Serena once again. "So you came here to cheer me up?"

Serena brightened up a tad, nodding quickly. "Yeah! I got a text message from a random number saying you were acting depressed and needed a good friend like me to help you out."

She pulled out her smartphone and scrolled down a list of text message threads until she found the one she was looking for. She thrusted it in Ash's face, apologized for doing so, and then simply handed the phone for him to read. "See?"

Ash focused his eyes on the screen to read:

 _I'm pretty sure you remember who Ash Ketchum is, so I'll spare you the boring details._

 _Right now, he could really use a friend. I feel he is going down a dangerous path of self-destruction. I don't think he realizes it yet._

 _I would help him myself, but I fear I'm in no condition to do so._

 _When you can, please stop by his house in Pallet Town and do what you think is right. The address is written below, if you don't know it._

There was no indication as to who could have sent this message. He read and reread the message several times. Whoever sent this message not only knew enough about him to form a conclusion about how he was feeling, but also had access to his friends' numbers.

"Did you try to reply to this message, Serena?"

Serena asserted, "Yes, I definitely did. All I got was an automatic return message saying that my message didn't reach the receiver."

Felix immediately confronted Serena. He opened his mouth to speak but then found himself, for the first time in a long while, lacking the words. He closed it, reorganized his thoughts, and said, "Wait. We interrupted our trip, took a ferry to the local port, and drove to this guy's house based off an address and message that came from someone _you didn't know_? Someone who can't be reached?"

Serena frowned. "I wanted to make sure Ash was okay."

"Serena, babe, you can't just _trust_ random messages like that! This could have been a kidnapping ploy for all you know! You could have at least told me all of this!"

This time it was Serena who confronted Felix. "I know how you are, Felix. You are so overprotective of me that you wouldn't have even considered coming here with me."

Felix had a look of indignation, replying, "That isn't true! Even if it was, it's only because I care about you. Who knows what crazy things people are doing nowadays?"

"I can take care of myself! You know that I can!" she nearly shouted in defiance of Felix's protectiveness. "I travelled all of Kalos before meeting you. Put some faith in me for a change!"

Gary and Ash were taken aback by what appeared to be a lover's quarrel. Neither felt that it was their place to make any comments of their own, but rather felt it appropriate to take a few steps back on listen to the two work out their issues.

Unfortunately, the argument continued to escalate. Felix was now pleading with Serena to see his point of view and Serena was fiercely fighting for her independence.

" _I should probably stop this if it continues like how it is going,"_ Ash thought as he witnessed the spectacle intensify. _"I never would have guessed that Felix had this sort of side to him. For him to throw his pride away like that, to come here despite his clear dislike of me…he must really treasure Serena."_

Serena had now stopped talking altogether and gave Felix the silent treatment, her arms crossed and her body always facing away from him no matter how hard he tried to speak directly to her.

"Serena, this is immature. We can talk this out."

No response.

"C'mon Serena."

Nothing.

"Serena, please."

Only the sound of a light breeze answered Felix.

Not wasting a second, he whirled on Ash. He was _seething_.

"I can't help but notice that you are not only responsible for this, but you are also the glue holding this _talk_ between Serena and me in a negative light." The words dripped with acid and hate. "So I'm going to resolve this in the best way I know how."

He raised his right arm and pointed to Ash with as much intensity as he could muster. "I challenge you to a one-on-one Pokémon battle! If I win, you will no longer have _anything_ to do with Serena. Ever!"

Ash now found himself wondering whether or not this guy or Barry was more sporadic. At the very least, Barry was only annoying with his energy. This guy was a complete douchebag, no questions asked. Granted, if it was a battle that he was proposing…

Intrigued, Ash self-assuredly asked, "And if I win?"

Felix smirked, throwing out his hands in a grand gesture once more. "If, and that's a _big_ if, you win, then not only will I apologize, but I will also give you this!"

The challenging trainer ran back to his car and looked to be searching for something of value. After fiddling with one of the car's compartments, he found what he was looking for! He rushed back to the group and carefully showcased what he had retrieved.

"This is a mega-evolution combo set! It has adjustable bracelets for both the trainer and Pokémon in order to unlock the power of mega!" Felix announced a little breathlessly. He was working himself up too much. "These are quite rare, you know. I don't have a stone, but you can come across those on your own."

An extended sigh came from Ash once he realized that he was about to accept this challenge. Why did he feel like he was dealing with Gary and Paul again?

" _Is that all it takes to get me invested in something? Dangle a reward in front of me and I'll bite, sure,"_ Ash bitterly thought to himself. To be honest, Ash was more interested in the apology than the mega set. Not that it wasn't a good opportunity, but he wasn't really interested in mega-evolution at the moment. Ash-Greninja was incredibly useful and awesome to have; he was content with that for the moment.

Gary, on the other hand, was nearly salivating at the thought of a mega-set reward. There was ancient technology encrypted in those things and he was curious if they would be the same across multiple sets. It wasn't his place to pressure Ash to do anything, but he sincerely hoped that Ash would go for it. Besides, this Felix guy didn't look tough enough to beat Ash.

"Did we all just forget about what I have to say about all of this? Considering this directly involves me?" Serena piped up. She formed an "X" with her hands and said, "I refuse to jeopardize my relationship with Ash just because Felix said so."

"No, it's okay Serena," Ash replied. His words were not cold per say, but they were far from friendly. "I don't mind accepting his conditions. You should support your _boyfriend_ anyways."

Serena flinched, not used to being on the receiving end of anything negative from Ash. She could feel herself being close to tears but didn't let them drop. That kind of weakness was something that Serena would not allow anyone to see.

She walked away from Ash and approached Felix, who was more than ready to talk to her again.

She punched him on the arm.

Hard.

"Hey! OWW! What was that for? He even agreed to it!" Felix tended to his now sore arm, rubbing it gently while realizing that Serena was _much_ stronger than he had ever known.

"Not even counting the fact that you are doing things without my input _again_ ," she started heatedly, throwing her hat down in frustration, "you are gambling with equipment that doesn't even belong to you!"

That caught Gary's attention; he had a hunch that Felix's possession of such devices was a bit odd. To confirm his guess, he asked, "Well, who does that mega-evolution equipment belong to? Ash isn't going to take a gamble on something that would basically have him steal from someone else."

As annoyed as Ash was that Gary was speaking for him again, he couldn't say that Gary was wrong. There was no way that he would steal, directly or indirectly.

" _Tch_ ," was Felix's response before saying, "Fine. This doesn't _technically_ belong to me, but instead belongs to Uncle Bartibus. Not that it matters though."

He smirked and folded his arms.

"I'm going to win anyways."

"You certainly are confident. You remind me of me, scarily enough," Ash remarked as he was rather impressed by his opponent's confidence. He briefly wondered if he should be unnerved instead; Felix either was entirely overconfident or had something big up his sleeve.

Ash's words caused Felix to grimace to comical levels. "I consider any association with you, Ash, to be a cause of shame. I don't spend time wallowing in defeat like you," he scorned. "I've trained hard and have found success in my efforts. I have recently conquered the Sinnoh Battle Frontier and placed Top 4 in the last Kalos League Championship."

"I don't care about what you have done," Ash said, brushing aside his opponent's accomplishments. "I only care about what you can do _now_."

* * *

 **-Battle!-**

 **:Ash Ketchum vs. Fletcher Xenia (Felix):**

"I suppose I will referee this match," Gary announced.

Everyone had moved away from Ash's house and found an open field where their battle wouldn't do any significant damage. The field was barren and only had sparse areas of grass here and there.

Serena still did not approve of this match but grudgingly respected the wishes of both Felix and Ash. On another note, she was also fairly afraid for Ash's chance of victory. She had seen Felix train and battle with some truly strong opponents. He was no slouch on the battlefield and commanded his team with reckless abandon. That wasn't to say that he was stupid, no, for he was actually quite intelligent on how he pressured the opponent. To top it all off, she knew for a fact that Ash had not battled in two years!

" _I really hope you know what you're doing, Ash."_

Gary raised his arms and declared, "This will be a one-on-one battle between Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town and Fletcher Xenia of…"

Gary looked over to Felix, waiting for an answer. Felix simply told him that it wasn't important where he came from.

"Alright then: Fletcher Xenia of 'it's not important.' The challenger will send out his Pokémon before the challenged unless the parties choose to do the opposite. The battle will end when either of the opponent's Pokémon cannot continue to battle," Gary continued to explain. "This is also a stakes-battle in which the terms and conditions have already been finalized. Felix, send out your Pokémon."

"Alright! Let's heat 'em up, Ninetales!"

From across Ash's side of the battlefield materialized the elegantly nine-tailed Pokémon. Ninetales' tails were moving in a wave-like motion as she appeared to be patiently waiting for an order. The image was certainly contrasting when compared to the ball of fire that Felix seemed to be.

"You may now send out your Pokémon, Ash."

Ash grinned a grin that hadn't been on his face in two years. His heart was starting to pound and his face was flushing. The adrenaline of battle was already pumping through his veins.

How could he have ever forsaken this feeling?

"We're in it to win it! Go Pikachu!"

"Pi-ka!"

Pikachu scurried out onto the battlefield, discharging excess electricity as a warm-up. Pikachu assumed an offensive stance and watched Ninetales carefully. Ninetales merely gazed at Pikachu with her red eyes ever so patiently, almost lazily in fact. Ninetales wasn't underestimating her opponent but rather was keeping herself relaxed. Tensing up before an order never did her any good. And knowing her trainer, he would do just that any second now-

"Ninetales! Start off with Confuse Ray!"

Ah there it was.

Ninetales let out a soft cry and channeled ghostly energy through her body. She used the energy to stack itself and warped it into a physical ball. Once it was of large enough size, Ninetales used her tails to toss it in Pikachu's direction.

The ball was approaching Pikachu fast!

"Pikachu, dodge left!"

Felix laughed condescendingly. "You honestly think that's all it takes? Who do you take us for?"

Pikachu preemptively dodged left in order to avoid the incoming attack, but the Confuse Ray ball unexpectedly split into many miniature balls! They covered a much wider area and Pikachu had not moved out of the way enough to avoid getting hit by any of them.

Thinking fast, Ash commanded, "Jump, Pikachu!"

Pikachu, relying solely on reflexes, jumped as high as it could to avoid the surprise attack. The small electric Pokémon soared high into the air, feeling the rush of wind against his fur. Pikachu strained one of his ears towards Ash in order to hear any incoming orders and kept the other vigilant on Ninetales.

Felix waggled a finger at Ash and mockingly said, "Is this really the best you can do? Putting yourself in the air only makes my job easier!"

He quickly turned his attention back to the battle, not wanting to let this opportunity go to waste. "Ninetales! Capture that Pikachu mid-air with a Fire Spin!"

Ninetales called upon the fire in her body and let it swell to burning proportions. Within seconds, a fiery ember tornado erupted from Ninetales and almost instantaneously swallowed Pikachu as he was still falling to the ground. Pikachu disappeared in the torrent of flames with only a cry of pain heard.

The tornado of flames did not let up even as Ninetales stopped the attack, but rather moved and cycled on the ground, acting as a hellish prison of heat for Pikachu who was forced to move in the center as the Fire Spin moved. The flames licked Pikachu occasionally, singing his fur as the electric Pokémon gritted.

"Pikachu! Are you okay in there?" Ash called out worriedly.

"Only a Pokémon with the Flash Fire ability would be comfortable in there!" Felix yelled to Ash. "You're Pikachu is toast unless he can get out of there!"

That was a tall order in it of itself. The tornado of flames towered impossibly high for Pikachu's jump height. Luckily, a solution did present itself.

"Pikachu! If you can hear me, use Rain Dance!"

Ash was glad that he managed to teach that to Pikachu a few weeks ago. It had helped with some assignments that Ash had been given to by Professor Oak. It was going to be their ticket out of this mess now!

"Pi-ka Pi-ka Chu-Chu! Pi-ka Pi-ka Chu Chu!"

Pikachu always felt silly doing this dance, but would do it many more times before being subjected to this heat anymore. Pikachu, using his tail, could feel the weather start to change as rain clouds started to form above the battle field. The clouds provided a cool shade from the rest of the area's sunlight and a light rain started to fall.

Ash was relieved to hear the sounds of hissing as the fire tornado was being doused by the falling rain. That is until-

"Ninetales! Counterattack with Sunny Day!"

Ninetales cried out again and, using her fire energy, intensified the heat of the sunlight that previously encompassed the battlefield. The rain clouds evaporated along with the rain higher into the atmosphere where natural clouds reside. Even as Pikachu tried to continue the Rain Dance, the clouds simply couldn't match up to the unbearable heat of the Sunny Day.

The fire tornado had lost its overwhelming height, but now it was even more potent! Pikachu felt as though he was swimming in magma with how hot it was! The constant attempts to not get burned alongside being subjected to this horrible heat was draining Pikachu's energy quickly.

Ash felt stuck. He couldn't believe that he was already in this seemingly unwinnable situation. And it was all because he didn't think about putting Pikachu into a bad position. He only cared about escaping the immediate threat; his quick thinking worked against him.

"Pikachu! Try to break the Fire Spin with a Thunderbolt!"

Even as Ash called out the move, he knew it wouldn't work. The bolt of electricity clashed against the inner fire wall and dissipated once Pikachu finished the attack, panting as sweat shone against his fur.

Brute force was something that never worked for Ash. It wasn't his battle style and trying to force a way out of this situation, at best, would only drive them into another trap. Felix's smug expression was all the confirmation Ash needed for his guess to be accurate.

Although… _something wasn't quite right_.

The Fire Spin moved a little here and there, but didn't travel far in any particular direction. It was, for the most part, just staying still. That's not how fire worked, especially with a tornado of fire. It should be trying to consume all in its wake.

Ash watched Felix's Ninetales intently. Ninetales wasn't moving the tails in the wave-like motion anymore and was staring _very intensely_ into the fire.

The pieces started to come together.

There might be a way out of this mess after all!

Ash yelled as loud as he could, "Pikachu! Use Rain Dance again and put everything you have into it!"

Pikachu heard Ash quite clearly. He didn't know what Ash was planning, but he rarely did in these sorts of situations. All Pikachu could do was trust him and started to do the Rain Dance with a level of fervor that Pikachu had never put into a Rain Dance before.

The rain clouds fought against withering under the concentrated heat and gathered above the battlefield once more. Rain started to fall and the cool sensation invigorated Pikachu just a bit.

Felix wasn't going to let this happen again. It was obvious that Ash intended to lower the Fire Spin's height enough for Pikachu to escape. "Ninetales! Sunny Day again before the rain affects the Fire Spin!"

Ninetales focused on using her pool of fire energy to bring back the blinding heat and rid herself of these obnoxious clouds. As an experienced weather user, Ninetales knew that Pikachu's Rain Dance had no chance of standing against a serious Sunny Day. The rain clouds began evaporating at a ridiculous pace as the Sunny Day took precedence.

"Now, Pikachu! Thunderbolt against the Fire Spin and use Quick Attack to escape!"

Pikachu quickly mustered up electricity and threw a lightning bolt against the impenetrable wall of fire. Except this time, the bolt of lightning pierced right through the tornado, leaving a sizable yet quickly closing hole. That wasn't a problem, however, as Pikachu had already started using Quick Attack to escape. Pikachu flew out of the Fire Spin as the hole finally closed up, breathing heavily and sweating profusely under the stronger heat of the Sunny Day.

Ash gave himself a small celebratory fist pump. "Great job, Pikachu!"

Felix clapped his hands slowly as Ninetales' Fire Spin completely died down, no longer needed since there was nobody in it.

"Good job. You got out. I bet you feel proud, huh?"

"Once I realized that the Fire Spin wasn't moving, I figured out that your Ninetales was directly controlling it using some sort of energy. It explains why Ninetales was so focused during the attack and it explains why you didn't order any other sort fire type attack," Ash said, revealing his thought process. "Ninetales can't make the Fire Spin that strong _and_ use Sunny Day. That was the weakness in your attack!"

Felix scoffed, "It doesn't matter, Ketchum. Your Pikachu looks exhausted and my Ninetales hasn't done anything outside of maintain an attack." He shook his head. "This battle is already over."

"Don't underestimate us! Use Thunderbolt directly on Ninetales, Pikachu!"

Pikachu quickly generated another Thunderbolt attack, letting it grow and cackle in power as he did so. "Pika-CHUUU!" was cried out as Pikachu unleashed the powerfully huge bolt of lightning. It ripped the ground below it as it rather slowly approached right towards Ninetales, who observed the attack with understandable fear. Her muscles tensed, ready to dodge on command.

Instead, Felix commanded, "Ninetales! Meet it head on with Flamethrower!"

Ninetales acknowledged Felix's order with an affirmative nod. She once again called on her well of fire energy in order to mold it into a steady stream of fire. It was building…building… almost there-

"WAIT NO! NINETAILS, DODGE IT!"

Ninetales immediately ceased building the Flamethrower and roughly leaped out of the way of the lightning blast. There was no poise in the action. Only a primal fear and a gut reaction drove Ninetales to successfully flee.

Ninetales looked back at the spot it was at seconds ago and watched as the Thunderbolt made contact with the ground. Normally, a scorch mark at best would be left due to the ground's ability to diffuse electrical currents. However, the mere force of the attack tore at the ground, flinging chunks of rock and ground everywhere. The bolt vanished, as electricity has a tendency to, and all that was left was a sizable steaming crater.

Ninetales' eyes widened in simultaneously relief and horror; there was no way a Flamethrower from her could have even slowed such a display of raw power. It was a good call on Felix's part to warn her at the last second, otherwise this match might have finished sooner than he thought.

Felix's heart was pounding like a madman's. He almost made a really, _really_ costly decision trying to stop that Thunderbolt. And what the hell was _that_? Why was that Thunderbolt so freakishly strong when the ones from earlier had nowhere near that level of power?

"Calm down. Calm down," Felix muttered to himself. "Analyze the situation. Ninetales is still fresh, though probably thoroughly spooked. An attack of that magnitude probably cost that Pikachu everything he had."

Felix's eyes darted over to where Ash's Pikachu was standing. While he expected to see Pikachu struggling to stand or even lying face down in the dirt, he did _not_ expect to see Ash's Pikachu looking relieved! Like a huge burden had been lifted off of him!

" _What the hell!?"_

Even Ash was surprised! His jaw had certainly dropped to the floor from witnessing that kind of electric shock from Pikachu. There was absolutely no way that Pikachu should have been able to release power like that. Unless…

"Pikachu. Have you been training in secret?" Ash asked in a deadpan tone.

Pikachu shook his head. "Pi-ka!"

Well, there went that theory. It was safe to assume that none of Ash's other Pokémon were training in secret either. Ash would have to get to the bottom of this mystery later. He had a battle to win, so long as Pikachu was able-bodied.

"Then I guess we'll continue the battle! Pikachu, use Quick Attack to get close!"

Pikachu took off at the last word, a streak of light trailing behind his agile movements. Ninetales, who was closely watching Pikachu approach, cried out to her trainer who was still in a stupor. Felix snapped out of his daze and saw Pikachu approaching.

" _Focus! Long range attacks won't work here,"_ he thought hastily. He tore his vision between his Ninetales and the Pikachu. The opposing Pokémon was already directly in front of Ninetales! _"Ergh! This isn't good!"_

"Pikachu, Iron Tail on the Ninetales!" Ash commanded, pushing his advantage against his opponent. There would be no rest so long as they had momentum! "Make it a big hit!"

"Pi-ka!" Pikachu wholeheartedly responded as he felt his tail channel the properties of steel energy to harness it into a thick coat of metal. This particular Iron Tail was especially heavy and Pikachu had to expend much more stamina into launching himself high enough for good hit. Once in the air though, Pikachu was racing towards his opponent thanks to the increase in mass and gravity.

Felix was drawing a blank. He wasn't used to being pressured like this; he was usually the one doing the pressuring! Felix knew that there wouldn't be enough to time to ready any sort of Flamethrower or Fire Spin strong enough to stop that Iron Tail, even with the Sunny Day in effect. He was also worried about Ash's statement "Make it a big hit." Did that mean that this Iron Tail would be as stupidly strong as that last Thunderbolt? What options could get him out of this-

Ninetales cried out to her trainer again, this time in panic and great pain. The attack was successful, striking the fire type Pokémon cleanly on her side. While it wasn't a very type effective move, the force of the strike more than made up for it. Ninetales quickly staggered and was crudely launched to the ground as Pikachu rebounded off the hit, somersaulting through the air a few times before landing on his feet. The fire type Pokémon was not known for taking strong hits much and Ninetales could feel that her ability to dodge from this point on was crippled.

"Ninetales! I'm sorry!" Felix yelled out to his Pokémon. "I'll think of something!"

Ash wasn't going to let that happen. "Pikachu, wrap this up Electro Ball!"

Pikachu, using his tail again, formed the familiar ball of pure electricity and poured a good amount of electrical power into it. Pikachu could feel his body warning him about his nearly depleted electrical energy reserves, so he stopped when he judged the ball to be just strong enough for a knock out.

Pikachu took a running start, jumped, and vertically flipped in the air as he released the Electro Ball straight towards Ninetales. "Pi-ka Pi-ka!"

The attack cackled in the air as it speedily rushed towards Ninetales. Ninetales had attempted to move out of the way but instead just yelped in pain when she tried to stand up. Moving out of the way was out of the question, it seemed.

"Ninetales! Close your eyes and use Calm Mind!" Felix shouted as the attack was upon Ninetales.

Ninetales hesitantly obeyed, slowly closing her eyes and meditating where she laid. A blue aura surrounded her as she did so before she felt Pikachu's Electro Ball send a powerful shock through her body! Ninetales cried out again in pain, her muscles tense from the electricity flowing through them, before finally slumping over on the ground.

She was officially done with this battle, evident by her inability to move even as she heard Felix desperately call out to her for her to stand up. She wished she could have obliged, but darkness finally claimed her.

"Ninetales is unable to battle! The winner is Ash Ketchum and Pikachu!" Gary declared, raising his arm in Ash's direction.

There it was. The complete satisfaction, happiness, exhaustion, and giddiness that accompanied every victorious battle. Ash could feel his body relax from such a tense fight; he rushed over to Pikachu, who looked battered beyond belief, and hugged him tightly. "We did it! We did it, Pikachu!"

Pikachu was tired, hot, and frankly kind of hurt by Ash's hug. But Pikachu was incredibly happy to have helped his pika-pal win his first battle in two years. There was nothing quite like participating in a hard fought victory. Thankfully, the Sunny Day's effects were wearing off and the normal weather resumed its course over the battlefield.

Felix felt his legs grow weak and he fell to the ground. He recalled his Ninetales and stared at her Pokéball with a blank expression.

He lost.

He _lost_.

Not only did he lose, but he played like a complete amateur during the second half of the battle! It was like he had never battled anyone before! He felt so… _incompetent_. Felix wished that he could have stomped off in anger, jeering that his opponent simply got lucky and that he would be back to beat him.

But he couldn't do that at all.

It was _painfully_ clear that his loss was a result of him acting like a Deerling-in-headlights once the battle stopped going by his imaginary script. Has his time training been useless? How did it go so wrong so quickly? Why did he act the way he did? He was supposed to be used to pressure! He placed in Top 4 for goodness sake! How much more pressure could you get?

He wanted answers, dammit!

Meanwhile, Serena was off to the side of the battlefield, thankful that Ash had managed to pull out that win. How Felix was going to explain losing a valuable mega-set like that to his uncle was beyond her, but she was certain to stay out of that explanation. She was also certain that she was going to hear him complain about this loss for a _long_ time.

"It was very strange though," Serena murmured quietly, staring at the sky in deep thought. "I've never seen Felix battle like that before. Not ever…"

* * *

Unbeknownst to everybody on the battlegrounds, a hypnotic pendant stopped swinging and psychic energies stopped flowing. The pendant belonged to a Hypno who was watching the entire ordeal from within a richer area of foliage. The spot was well concealed and had no easy way of being seen.

The Hypno grunted softly and pressed a small electronic button located within her ears, activating the receiver within them.

"Hypno! Is that you? These things are working, then?"

Hypno grunted again, the message clear to the voice on the other end.

"Good. I told you to call me if everything went well. I can't otherwise understand you, so I'll have to assume that our prior arrangements paid off today. You know what to do now. Continue tailing them and keep an eye on our experiment, okay?"

Another grunt of affirmation.

The line went dead and the Hypno stalked deeper into the trees, preparing for her next assignment.


End file.
